By Mitchell Gilbert |
Caleb Whalen
Senior
Second baseman
Vancouver, Wash.
What has been the highlight of your season so far?
I’d have to say for me it has been playing the game last Tuesday against Oregon. I had six RBI’s on two hits with a homerun. a sac-fly and the double.
What are the team’s goals for the rest of this season?
Sitting where we are currently. We just want to try and finish the season. It has been an up and down year this season, and we all just want to come together at the end and get ready for next season.
What are your personal goals?
I just want to keep doing what I am doing. I want to play as hard as I can and be a leader on the team. I want to help the other guys out as much as I can.
What is a challenge you have faced so far this season?
It has just been putting everything together. Some days our hitting is on, but our pitching is off. If we can put it all together we can potentially be good, but so far this season it hasn’t been coming together at the same time.
What does it mean to you to represent the Portland Pilots?
We are one of the smaller schools in the conference, and we often play big schools during mid-week games. We represent smaller schools in a bigger conference, and it feels good to prove to the big schools that we aren’t the little guys.
How do you enjoy playing for Coach Sperry?
He is a good coach on and off the field, is easy to talk with on and off the field. He has been very supportive this season despite our poor record.
What do you think your hitting success this year can be attributed to?
Summer ball is a big help. I really had a good summer going into this year. Staying shorter in my swing and kind of slowing myself down. Keeping my breathing in check has been a very important part of my hitting.
What do you hope to improve on looking into your senior year?
To be consistent everyday and not have any lulls in my hitting throughout the year. Obviously, I also want to be a lockdown player defensively, and have a low number of errors.
What do you think the team needs to improve on?
Just putting everything together. We need to make sure we show up to every game, and that we always come ready to play.
What are your aspirations after you graduate?
Yeah, I do have aspirations to play at the next level. I just want to have a good final season. The MLB draft is junior and senior year, so all I can do is play well and see what happens.
What do you look forward to looking into your senior season?
I am looking forward to being a leader on the team. Our goal for next season is the same as it has always been, to go to the WCC championship. And I look forward to trying to accomplish that goal.
How do you balance between baseball and school?
At this school they do a pretty good job with making it easy. The teachers really help us make sure we get some stuff done on the road and communication about deadlines. My teammates really help by policing each other, and helping each other understand what we are learning in our classes.
